ECAC Hockey Release Men's Preseason Coaches and Media Polls

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – During Tuesday’s Media Day with all 12 head coaches, ECAC Hockey announced its 2013-14 men’s preseason coaches and media polls.

Dartmouth was picked near the middle of the pack by both groups of voters as the league’s coaches tabbed the Big Green seventh, while the media had them slotted tied for fifth with Cornell.

The 2012-13 season saw Dartmouth finish 15-14-5 overall and 9-9-4 in league play and a postseason series victory for the third straight year, defeating Harvard in the first round of the league tournament. The final Division I team to suffer a loss to start the season (5-0-1), the Big Green got off to a hot start last winter and climbed all the way to No. 8 in the national polls, the highest ranking in program history.

The media’s poll was more about what’s to come this year, rather than look back at those who enjoyed successes in 2012-13. That was apparent in Rensselaer earning the top spot with 18 first-place votes, ahead of defending national champion Yale in second. The Bulldogs earned five first-place nods, but managed to find themselves ahead of Quinnipiac, a team they beat to win the national title in Pittsburgh, despite the Bobcats picking up one more first-place vote (6).

However, the coaches rewarded Yale for its unprecedented run through the NCAA Tournament and Frozen Four with four first-place votes and the No. 1 spot on their preseason poll. RPI was next, followed by QU and Union with each program earning two. Cornell was fifth with one vote, while Harvard claimed the sixth position.

Despite picking the Green and White seventh in the polls, one coach did put Dartmouth at the top of his ballot, picking the Big Green to finish first.

Bob Gaudet Quotes from ECAC Hockey Media Day:On the successes of ECAC Hockey teams on the national level last spring:“I’ve been around this league for 30 years, and it has been outstanding on the ice and in the classroom. We have some of the greatest rivalries in college hockey and it was outstanding to have Yale win the national championship and Quinnipiac there battling them for it. It’s an exciting league and it’s what we, as coaches, expect. The level of competition in ECAC Hockey is outstanding, but that’s something we all have known for a long time.”

On last season’s second half that followed the best start in program history:“We had some injuries in the second half that played a role in that. We play in a tough league with a tough schedule and a lot of what happens to you is luck. We have to work on being consistent because the teams that prove themselves to be the best are the ones that are consistent. A lot of what happens is based on how healthy your players are and it can be tough when that isn’t that case for you as every opponent line up against is a good team. This league has proven to be top-notch and we look forward to getting started this year.”

On his team’s recent trip to Italy and Switzerland:“It was an unbelievable experience for our team. We went for 10 days in late August and early September and what it did for team bonding was something even I couldn’t predict. We took 21 upperclassmen and for the returning guys on our team to be together and get the experience of playing really good hockey and the culture of going to places like Venice and Rome, being at the Vatican and the Colosseum, and Lake Como and Switzerland was truly remarkable. It really was the trip of a lifetime for everyone involved.”

On keeping in touch and following the career paths of former student-athletes now playing professionally:“Last season’s NHL lockout was a down point for hockey, but for us we were able to bring back five former players for a game against Vermont we played on the NBC Sports Network. It’s great to stay in touch with those guys who not only represent Dartmouth so well on the national stage, but also our conference at the highest level of hockey in the world. It’s fun to turn on the TV at night and see some of your former players scoring goals in the NHL, but it’s not just Dartmouth guys doing it. Our entire league is producing these players so you look for guys you coached against too. I enjoy keeping in contact with those guys that moved on and following their careers at that next level.”